Payroll Tax Fight Devolves into Photoshop War

The White House is making House Republicans feel its wrath the best way it knows how: Aggressive Photoshopping.

This afternoon, the executive branch unveiled a new addition to its countdown clock urging Congress to extend a payroll tax break by Dec. 31. With House Republicans opposing a bill in the Senate, White House Photoshoppers decided to get more specific in the blame-game:

Snap!

The little piece of tape masking "Congress" appeared on WhiteHouse.gov just in time for White House Press Secretary's 2:30 p.m. briefing in which he assailed the House for not taking up the Senate's bill. You can be sure staffers plastered the new graphic on the flatscreens flanking Carney during the presser.

We would give the White House high marks for originality if they hadn't stolen the tactic outright from House Republicans, who pulled the same trick last week when they passed a separate payroll tax extension. Behold, the graphic that appears on House Speaker Boehner's website: